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EDI TH B DAVIDSON 









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THE 

BUNNIKINS-BUNNIES 

AND THE MOON KING 


By 

EDITH B. DAVIDSON 

AUTHOR OF ‘‘NIBBLES POPPELTY-POPPETT,’ * “THE 
BUNNIKINS-BUNNIES IN CAMP,” ETC. 

With Illustrations by 

CLARA E. ATWOOD 



' ) ^ 

BOSTON 

LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 

1912 


Copyright, 1912, 

By Little, Brown, and Company. 


All rights reserved. 

Published, September, 1912. 






*^ 0 , ^0 

t CI,A3i9C63 


TO DEAR 
BARBARA 


WITH THE 
COMPLIMENTS 
OF HER FRIEND 
MR.BUNNIKINS- 


BUNNY 




One day Mr. Bunnikins-Bunny 
came home feeling very much out of 
sorts. He had a headache, a tooth- 
ache, and the shivery-shivers all over. 

Mrs. Bunny gave him some cay- 
enne pepper tea, and then put him 
to bed well wrapped up in blankets. 


7 


and with a hot-water bottle to keep 
his toe-toes warm. Very funny he 
looked with his long ears sticking 
out of his blue-and-white nightcap. 

In the afternoon, his friend, Mr. 
Gray-Squirrel, dropped in to see him, 
and said at once: 
“ What you need 
is a change of air, 
and I know just 




the thing for you to do ; come for a 
trip to the Moon with me in my 
new airship. You’ll have plenty of 
fresh air, and not too much heat, 
unless we happen to fall into the 
Sun.” 

“ Oh, no, no ! ” cried poor Mrs. 
Bunnikins-Bunny, almost in tears. 
“ I simply cannot let Mr. Bunnikins 
go sailing in the air. He would 
surely fall out of the ship, or get 
lost in the clouds, and I should never 
see him any more.” 

But Mr. Bunnikins liked the idea. 


9 


and at once set his heart on going. 
He talked so much about it, that at 
last Mrs. Bunny consented, if she and 
the children might go too, so that 
they could all fall out of the airship 
together. 

As Mr. Gray-Squirrel had told 
them that the journey would be 
very cold, Mr. Bunnikins-Bunny had 
a great time buying ulsters and over- 
shoes, caps and mittens. Most of 
his lovely hats he decided to leave 
at home, as he was afraid they might 
be blown away. 

lO 



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By the end of a week, they were 
all ready to start, Bobtail and Rosa- 
mund, Ruddy and Chippie having 
scarcely slept for nights from excite- 
ment. 

The airship was most comfortably 
arranged with nice little cabins in 
which to eat and sleep, and the sides 
were so high that no one could pos- 
sibly fall over the edge. 

Mr. Gray-Squirrel had hired Cap- 


tain Hawk to steer the airship by 
day, and Admiral Owl to keep a 
careful lookout at night. The chil- 
dren were rather afraid of Captain 
Hawk with his bright eyes and sharp 
beak, but they all loved to talk to 
old Admiral Owl, although he was 
always very sleepy when the sun was 
shining. 



12 


yfhov^ • the- G7 ozzd<Sn 



(Z^opfeirllL 


One fine morning away they flew, 
circling round and round, up and up, 
until the earth lay far below. Num- 
bers of strange birds flew about them, 
and one big gray one, with long 
feathery ears and a huge beak, fright- 
ened little Rosamund dreadfully, by 
perching on the airship close beside 
her. Day after day, they sailed past 


13 



beautiful stars and planets, until one 
morning they came to a very large 
cluster of star islands, which were 
thickly covered with herds of snow- 
white cows. 

“ Those cows belong to the King 
of the Moon,” said Captain Hawk, 
“ and they give so much milk that the 
islands are called The Milky Way. 
We are not far from the Moon 
now.” 

That same day, towards evening, 
they came to a great round island 
entirely made of rocks and ice. 


15 


“ Let’s not stop here,” said Mr. 
Bunnikins-Bunny with a shiver. « It 
is so cold that I think the tip of my 
left ear is frozen.” 

“ But this is the 
Island of the Moon,” 
exclaimed Admiral 
Owl, blinking his 
round eyes. 

“ Oh, how I wish 
that I had stayed 
at home,” groaned poor Mr. Bunni- 
kins. “ Mrs. Bunny did not want to 
come anyhow, and now we shall all 

i6 



freeze into icicles. Oh dear ! Oh 
dear ! ” 

“ Never mind,” said his kind little 
wife. “We will wrap up warmly, 
and perhaps we shall have some 
sleighing.” 

Sure enough, when they landed, 
they found a nice sleigh, drawn by 
four reindeer, ready to carry them to 
the hotel. In spite, however, of 
W'earing two ulsters, fur-lined over- 
shoes, a big muff, and a fur cap tied 
down under his chin, Mr. Bunnikins- 
Bunny’s whiskers, which were all you 


17 


could see of him, fairly shook with 
the cold, f- 



The hotel was all 
made of ice, so that 
everybody outside 
could see inside, and 
everybody inside could see outside. 


It was well heated, and there were 
warm carpets on the floors, but Mr. 
Bunnikins would not be comforted. 
He sat in a big arm-chair close to the 
fire, with his toe-toes drawn up under 
him, shivering and groaning. 

They had a very queer supper of 



19 


dried potato-pie, dried apple dump- 
ling, and dried lettuce and carrot- 
cake, for as nothing grows on the 
cold Island of the Moon, everything 
to eat has to be brought a long dis- 
tance in airships, and it all dries up 
on the way. 



20 


'7&-Tslondoftlne-Moon' 



dhapter^'llL 

As Mr. Bunnikins- 
Bunny was very anxious to see the 
Moon King and his beautiful Palace, 
they all started out the next morn- 
ing to visit him. At first they were 
told that they could not see the King, 
as he slept all day and was very busy 
all night, but finally they were invited 
to come to the Palace that evening, 
at eight o’clock. 


21 





22 


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They spent the rest of the day 
sleighing and seeing the island. The 
houses were all made of ice, and 
there were no trees, no flowers, not 
even a blade of grass. The people 
were so huge that they terrified the 
children, and Rosamund kept tight 
hold of her father’s paw. 

No Bunnies or Squirrels had ever 
been seen in the Moon before, and 
the people admired them very much. 
One little giant girl cried tears as big 
as dollars, because she could not keep 
Rosamund for a plaything, and when 


23 


she picked her up in her big hands to 
pet her, the poor little bunny was 
frightened almost to death. 
As soon as he had eaten 
his supper, Mr. Bunni- 
kins-Bunny hurried 



off to dress for the Moon King’s 
Party. He tried one thing and then 
another, until poor Mrs. Bunnikins 


24 


was quite tired out trying to help 
him, and thought he never would 
be ready in time. At last he decided 
to wear a beautiful 
blue velvet suit 
embroidered in gold, 
and a very fine green 
and white hat all 
trimmed with ostrich 



25 


feathers. To keep himself warm, he 
had a velvet cape lined with fur, and, 
as a finishing touch, he wore a little 
gold sword. Mrs. Bunnikins advised 
him not to, as she was afraid it would 
be in his way, but Mr. Bunnikins- 
Bunny insisted that a sword was the 
proper thing to wear at Court. 

Bobtail and Ruddy Squirrel had 
tied bright red bows on themselves 
wherever they could find a place, and 
Rosamund shouted with laughter 
whenever she looked at them. 


26 



The Palace was made entirely 
of blocks of ice most beautifully 
carved, the walls being lined with 
silk, so that nobody could look 
in. It was brilliantly lighted, and 


27 


on each of the broad steps stood a 
giant soldier, in scarlet and gold uni- 
form. 

Two big footmen led the Bunni- 
kins-Bunnies and the Gray-Squirrels 
through one grand room after an- 
other, until they came to a great 
silver door, on which one of the foot- 
men knocked twice with a silver 
wand. As the door slowly opened, 
the Bunnikins-Bunnies and the Gray- 
Squirrels were so dazzled by the flood 
of light, that for a moment they all 
covered their faces with their paws. 

28 









Then they looked up and saw the 
most wonderful room. 

It was made of purest white ice, 
the floors being covered with great 
white rugs, and the walls with silvery 
silk. The furniture was of ivory in- 
laid with silver, and in every corner 
stood a tall silver vase full of moon 
flowers, which perfumed the air. 

At one end of the great room was 
a silver throne, on which was seated a 
gigantic figure clad in a misty white 
garment, from which the silvery moon- 
beams streamed out in every direction. 


29 



3 ° 


so that the whole room was filled 
with a shimmering light. 

In front of the King was a great 
round window through which he was 
intently gazing. His head was quite 
bald, his cheeks were fat, he had a big 
mouth, and his eyes were very large 
and round. As he turned with a 
pleasant smile to greet the Bunnikins- 
Bunnies and the Gray-Squirrels, they 
were very much astonished to recog- 
nize the Man in the Moon, whom 
they had so often seen, sitting high 
up in the sky. 


31 


« Draw the cloud curtain,” he said 
to one of the footmen, who at once 
pulled a heavy gray curtain across the 
great window. Then in a very gentle 
voice for such a huge being, he added : 
« Come forward my little people, I 
am very glad to see you.” 



32 


As they came forward Mr. Gray- 
Squirrel made a polite bow, and Mrs. 
Bunny and Mrs. Squirrel made nice 
little courtesies, but poor Mr. Bunni- 
kins-Bunny, in the middle of a most 
elegant bow, got his legs so twisted 
up with his sword, that he turned a 


33 


complete somersault right into the 
Moon King’s lap ! 



“Never mind,” said the King, as he 
kindly helped him to his feet, “ acci- 
dents will happen. Have a piece of 
cheese ? ” 


34 


On the broad arm of the King’s 
throne was a plate full of green 
cheese, of which he took a large piece 
himself, after offering it to the Bun- 
nies and the Squirrels. 

“ Do you make your own cheese?” 
asked Mrs. Bunnikins-Bunny, as she 
tasted it. 

“It is made for me in the Milky 
Way,” replied the Moon King. “ No 
cows have been allowed in the Moon, 
since a very rude one jumped right 
over my head many years ago.” 

Just then there was a loud squeal 


35 



stumbled into 
a mouse trap, and been caught by the 
leg. 


of terror from the other end of the 
room. Bobtail had found the queer 
cheese so horrid, that he simply could 
not eat it. He had wandered off, 
hoping to find some 
dark corner in which 
to hide it, and had 


36 


“ Dear! Dear!” said the King, as 
they all ran to help poor Bobtail. 
“ I am so sorry, but you see mice like 
cheese almost as much as I do, and 
so I have to set traps everywhere. 
Now you shall have a peep from my 
Look-Out-Window,” he continued, 
taking Bobtail by the paw. 

Far, far below they could see the 
great round earth looking like a little 
ball, but it made them all so dizzy, 
that they did not look very long. 

“ Do you never get sleepy ? ” asked 
Mrs. Gray-Squirrel. 


37 


« Not very often,” answered the 
Moon King. “ There are times 
when I can watch with one eye, and 
then I have taught the other eye to 
go to sleep.” 

“ I thought you had a dog ? ” said 
Mr. Bunnikins-Bunny. 

« I did have a very fine yellow dog, 
but alas, I lost him long ago,” and the 
King, with a sigh, wiped away a tear. 

“ His name was 
Ebenezer, but we 
called him Sneezer 
for short, because 




he was so fond of mouse patties fla- 
vored with pepper, which made him 
sneeze. He was always 
chasing cats. One day 
he heard one 
miaow, and 
jumping 

on the ledge 
of my Great 
Window, he 
slipped and fell out, I 
don’t know where. 

“Since then, however, so many yel- 
low dogs have been seen on the Island 



39 



of Sirius, that it is now called the Dog 
Star, and I believe that Sneezer landed 
there.” 

While the King had been talking, 
the children had crept behind the 
cloud curtain to try and see the Dog 
Star. Bobtail had leaned out so far 
that he lost his balance, and would 
have surely gone to join Sneezer, 
had not one of the King’s footmen 
grabbed him by his short tail. 

As it was now late, the Bunnikins- 
Bunnies and the Gray-Squirrels, after 
thanking the King for his kindness. 


41 


said good-by, and the cloud cur- 
tain being drawn back, the King of 
the Moon gazed down once more 
upon the sleeping earth. 



42 



Early next morning, as soon as the 
sun had risen and the King of the 
Moon had gone to bed, the Bunni- 
kins-Bunnies and the Gray-Squirrels 
went on board the airship, and 
sailed off toward the Island of Mars. 
The children begged Captain Hawk 
to stop at the Dog Star and see 


43 



44 


Sneezer, but neither Mr. Bunnikins 
nor Mr. Gray-Squirrel was willing 
to, as they were both very much 
afraid of dogs. 

After several days of cloud fogs 
and contrary winds, they arrived at 
the great Island of Mars. As they 
came near the shore, they were as- 
tonished to see two squatty little 
men walking about on their heads 
with their heels in the air. No 
sooner had Bobtail and Ruddy Squir- 
rel landed, than they scampered off to 
look at the funny men. When they 


45 


came near them, however, they were 
walking on their feet. They told 
Bobtail that they eould walk as 
easily on one end as the other, and 
so by changing they never were tired. 

When Mr. Bunnikins-Bunny asked 
the way to the nearest town, the little 
men offered to go with them, as it 
was not far off. The village looked 
very pretty as they approached, sur- 
rounded by fruit trees and gardens 
of flowers, but the houses seemed 
most peculiar. The doors were at 
the top of the houses, the chimneys 
46 



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smoked close to the ground, and the 
people went into their homes by an 
outside staircase. One of the little 
men told Mr. Gray- 
Squirrel that all the 
houses in Mars were 
built that way, and he 
had never seen any 
other kind. 



47 


When they arrived at the hotel, 
they were escorted to the front door 
by the landlord, who hopped up the 
outside staircase before them on his 
head. They went into a big hall at 
the top of the house, from which a 
broad staircase led downstairs to the 
upstairs rooms. 



48 


The^pside-lDoiLrnTiofuse 



when the Bunnikins-Bunnies and 
the Gray-Squirrels saw their bed- 
rooms, they did not know what to 
do. The chandeliers stood up from 
the floors, and in the corners were 
little stairways leading up to the 
ceilings on which all the furniture 
was nicely arranged. 


49 


Mrs. Bunny wondered how she 
should ever keep the children from 
falling out of bed, while Mr. Bunni- 
kins-Bunny sat down on a corner of 
the chandelier, and held his bewil- 
dered head between his front paws. 

“If we stay here long,” said he, 
“ I shall go crazy, and you will have 
to keep me in-'a cage.” 

Meanwhile, the children were rac- 
ing up and down the little stairways 
and trying the beds and chairs on the 
ceiling. It was quite easy for Ruddy 
and Chippy Gray-Squirrel to hang 


5 ° 


on, but it was very difficult for Bob- 
tail and Rosamund Bunny, and it 
ended by Bobtail’s suddenly falling 
right on top of 
his father, who 
thought that the 
furniture was com- 
ing down, and was 
scared out of his 
wits. Bobtail was 
well scolded, and 
after that he and 
Rosamund were 

forbidden to climb on the ceiling. 



The landlord was quite hurt that 
they did not like his fine rooms, but 
to please them, he at last promised to 
put some beds on his ceilings which 
they called a floor. 

After a good dinner, they went out 
to walk, and everywhere they saw 
the most curious sights. All the 
houses and shops were built upside 
down, and many of the people 
walked that way. 

They were good-natured, fat little 
dwarfs, with big heads, long black 
hair, and small, bright eyes. They 


52 


wore very gay clothes, — red, blue, and 
yellow being their favorite colors, — and 
Mr. Bunnikins’s fine hat and beauti- 
ful clothes were immensely admired. 
In fact the people crowded so closely 
about the Gray-Squirrels and the 
Bunnikins-Bunnies and admired them 
so much, that at last Mr. Bunnikins 
became frightened, and hurried them 
all back to the hotel. 



54 


^ acrKi toE^rth: 



dhopferlSTL 


In the middle of the night, Mr. 
Gray-Squirrel woke up to find Mr. 
Bunnikins-Bunny in his blue-and- 
white nightcap, standing by his bed- 
side, with a lighted candle in his 
paw. 

“ What is the matter ? ” asked Mr. 
Gray-Squirrel, sitting up in bed. 

“ Oh dear me ! ” groaned poor Mr. 


55 


Bunnikins-Bunny, « I can’t go to 
sleep, for every time that I do, I 
dream that the furniture is falling olf 
the ceiling, or that I am walking on 
my head. Would you be willing to 
leave this awful place before break- 
fast ? ” 

“Yes, indeed,” replied Mr. Gray- 
Squirrel ; “ I am ready to go when- 
ever you are.” 

“ Besides,” continued Mr. Bunni- 
kins-Bunny, “I think that the people 
here are becoming much too fond of 
us, and if we stay any longer, they 


may not let us go away at all. I am 
sure that I don’t wish to spend the 
rest of my life walking on my head in 
an upside-down house.” 

They waked up Mrs. Bunny, Mrs. 



Gray-Squirrel, and the children as 
soon as it was light, and creeping 


57 





58 


quietly up the big staircase, they stole 
out of the house. 

At each street corner, Mr. Bunni- 
kins-Bunny had a fresh scare, but 
they met no one, and before the 
people were stirring in the village, 
they were safely on board the air- 
ship. 

“ If you don’t mind, I would 
rather not stop at any more islands,” 
said Mr. Bunnikins. “ In fact, I 
think I should like to go home.” 

Mr. Gray-Squirrel was quite will- 
ing, so down they went, circling 
59 


round and round, lower and lower, 
until at the end of the second day 
they were close to the Earth. 


What a sigh of relief 



6o 


As they said good-by, he thanked 
Mr. Gray-Squirrel warmly, and 
assured him that he had had a most 
wonderful trip. But as they walked 
towards home, he said to Mrs. Bunni- 



kins: “Well, my dear, I have always 
thought that I should like to be a 
bird and fly in the air ; but now, 
I am quite contented to be myself, 
and stay on the good old solid 
Earth ! ” 


62 





63 


SEP II 1912 







